Dangerously addictive painkillers are being prescribed to patients who shouldn’t take them.

The painkiller is called Subsys and it is 100 times more powerful than morphine. Subsys was approved by the FDA for cancer patients whose pain cannot be relieved by other FDA-approved narcotics alone.

Yet despite the fact that there are very few cancer patients who fit the category of needing these extremely strong narcotics, the Arizona-based company that sells this highly addictive drug has sold almost a billion dollars worth of this medication in only five years.

Patty Nixon, a former Insys sales rep turned whistleblower said she was part of a scheme to get the drug Subsys to patients who never should have had it in the first place.

Nixon was fired by Insys after she felt guilty about lying on the job and stopped showing up for work.

The ingredient that gives Subsys so much kick is fentanyl, according to the company’s website.

While Subsys is very strong, another element that sets it apart from other painkillers is the way it is used. It is a spray that is absorbed underneath the tongue.

Nixon states that her job was to make sure Subsys got into the hands of as many patients as possible.

“My job responsibilities were to contact insurance companies on behalf of the patients and the doctors to get the medication approved and paid for by their insurance company,” she told NBC.

A 30-day supply of Subsys costs anywhere from $3,000 to $30,000.

Nixon told NBC that her supervisor told her ways to trick the insurers into believing it was medically necessary.

“I would say, ‘Hi, this is Patty. I’m calling from Dr. Smith’s office. I’m calling to request prior authorization for a medication called Subsys,'” she told McFadden.

Nixon would also mention oncology records that didn’t exist and provide insurance companies with specific diagnosis codes, whether or not the patients had those actual conditions.

Nixon says that these statements were bold-faced lies.

Sarah Fuller was prescribed Subsys even though she didn’t have cancer.

She had chronic neck and back pain from two car accidents. When her doctor prescribed Subsys, an Insys sales rep was sitting in the room with them.

Within a month, Fuller’s prescription was tripled. And 14 months after she started using the drug, she was found dead on the bathroom floor.

Technically she died from fentanyl, but Fuller’s mother believes that the real reason for her death was because the drug company doesn’t care less about human life.

Fuller’s doctor has had her license temporarily suspended but denies responsibility for her death.

An attorney for Fuller’s family who is suing believes that people need to be held accountable for what is happening.

Nixon later testified before a federal grand jury that indicated the company’s former CEO Michael Babich for fraud, conspiracy and racketeering. Five other former Insys executives have been indicted for racketeering. All have pleaded not guilty.

Insys founder Dr. John Kapoor is not among those indicted. He is one of the wealthiest people in America.

Prosecutors say the company paid hundred of thousands of dollars to doctors in exchange for prescribing Subsys. Three top prescribers have already been convicted of taking bribes from Insys.

For its part, Insys has denied any responsibility and insists it should not be blamed for how doctors prescribe their products.

The corporation is not facing any criminal charges and is still selling Subsys, some $240 million worth of Subsys just last year.

Ariana Marisolis a contributing staff writer for REALfarmacy.com. She is an avid nature enthusiast, gardener, photographer, writer, hiker, dreamer, and lover of all things sustainable, wild, and free. Ariana strives to bring people closer to their true source, Mother Nature. She graduated The Evergreen State College with an undergraduate degree focusing on Sustainable Design and Environmental Science.